Morning Brief: First case of monkeypox detected in SA, how the Zondo report falls short

Good morning, here’s what you need to know today:

South Africa records its first case of monkeypox, some embrace being in a mask-free world while others say they will remain cautious, the work Raymond Zondo did is to be commended but that does not mean the state capture reports are above criticism.

SA races to track monkeypox cases after Joburg man tests positive, but Phaahla calls for calm – News24

Just as South Africa began to put the coronavirus in the rear-view mirror following the scrapping of the last few restrictions that remained in place, the first case of monkeypox was reported in Johannesburg.

Health minister Joe Phaahla said he received a report from the National Health Laboratory Services confirming a 30-year-old male with no travel history had contracted the virus. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has begun contact tracing to determine how many other cases there are out there.

Monkeypox is not a novel virus and can only be spread by direct contact hence just being in the same room as an infected person does not mean you will contract the virus. Phaahla said the virus is a mild disease with a fatality rate of just 1%. Read more here. (for subscribers)

‘I feel naked without a mask, it will take some getting used to’: Shoppers get use to face time – News24

Meanwhile, it will take some time to get used to seeing more than just someone’s eyes glaring back at you as people begin embracing a mask-free world now that the last of the Covid-19 restrictions have been removed.

News24 spoke to some shoppers at a local mall in Gauteng with many embracing the old new normal with big smiles and joy at a return to normality while others said they would remain cautious. Read more here.

How the final state capture report lets South Africa down – Daily Maverick

Everyone can agree that the work done by chief justice Raymond Zondo and his team at the State Capture Commission and the subsequent compiling of multiple volumes of reports has been an excellent job.

But just because Zondo did good work does not mean the final state capture reports are free from criticism and scrutiny. On the contrary, there are aspects of the reports that have failed us. Rebecca Davis analyses where the reports fall short and plots some of those key aspects. Read more here.